It’s only Day 2 of PAX West 2026 and we’ve got no time to think about how bad our legs are already sore from all the walking; there’s just too many videogames to play. Today we’ve got a few JRPGs to sink our teeth in, a new Castlevania game that wants to sink its teeth in you, and a handful of cozy games perfect for the season.
A Tiny Wander
I always make it an effort to try to find some cozy games at PAX West, and A Tiny Wander might be one of my favorites. You play as Buie, a pig who works as a deliveryman and is tasked with bringing a package to the farthest reaches of the forest they live in. They realize the trek might be more difficult than it initially seemed as the forest mysteriously starts looping and sending you back to the entrance.
Another Eden Begins
How excited would you be if I told you there was a JRPG that involved time travel and had a frog companion who wielded a sword? What if I said Masato Kato, the writer of Chrono Trigger, was making it? Because if that’s got you interested, then you might want to check out Another Eden Begins.
Lunar Pulse
Lunar Pulse is a roguelike single-player card game where each round lasts 60 seconds. I had the opportunity to play the entire demo, and I have to say, my interest was piqued from the start. The plot follows witches who take part in rituals that determine life and death, and each game’s outcome decides their fate. Both my hand and my opponent’s were visible from the start, which added interesting tension to the rounds I played. The true thrill of the game was the fact that any single move could ultimately end the round and kill you, as each player is only given a small amount of HP.
After playing through the first few rounds of the demo, I have to admit, the final round was surprisingly tough! You’re never truly sure which route your opponent is going to take, even with seeing their available moves, and they clearly saved the trickiest for last. Ultimately, I wrapped up the demo with some help from the developer himself, Yosuke Shiokawa, and walked away victorious. As someone who finds “soulslike” games a bit too intense sometimes, Lunar Pulse seems like it would be a great option for those who appreciate the same feelings of tension and quickness in a much more accessible format.
Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
It’s been a good minute since the last mainline Castlevania game, almost twenty years if you believe it, so fans are justifiably clamoring for another, and Konami’s finally delivering. Set in Paris, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse puts you in the shoes of Trevor Belmont’s daughter, Rose, as you try to save the city from being engulfed in monsters.
Final Fantasy Resonance
The 2018 game Octopath Traveler coined the “HD-2D” art style that Square Enix has been using over the last couple of years in other releases like Triangle Strategy and the Dragon Quest remakes. It isn’t till now that we’re finally getting a Final Fantasy title in this style, with the release of Final Fantasy Resonance.
Hakoniwa Electric
Hakoniwa Electric is the epitome of a “cozy” game to me. You play as a character named Akari with a robot companion named Lamp, taking over the responsibilities of your grandpa’s electronics store. The demo was short and sweet, beginning in a small cafe where I had to repair things like a faulty espresso machine and record player, with each “repair” prompting a small puzzle in order to complete the repair and “fix” the machine after turning the electricity in the shop back on. From there, the demo migrated to another business, a bakery, where the same type of repairs had to be done, though this time with a different puzzle to complete each of them. Another smaller game also appeared in each business, where you collected dog figurines for a bonus.
When I wasn’t working on repairs, I could explore Grandpa’s shop, completing tasks like checking email or the mail, or reviewing requests from the townsfolk. The demo ended without much fanfare, but I do personally think Hakoniwa Electric would be worth checking out if you’re looking for some comforting fun and find yourself drawn to self-paced puzzle games. And, after all, who doesn’t love dogs?
